12 Things You Should Really Never Microwave

Popping the wrong foods, containers, or mugs in the microwave could make you sick, expose you to harmful chemicals, or even (yikes!) start a fire. Follow these tips to avoid dangerous microwave mistakes.

Nothing

With no food or liquid to absorb the microwaves, the magnetron (which is what makes the microwave function) ends up absorbing the microwaves instead, which can damage your microwave and even start a fire, according to the USDA. Make sure you don’t accidentally press “start” without food or drink inside.